Anthem

[Adonisus]

I have read of a man who lived many thousands of years ago, and of all the names in these books, his is the one I wish to bear. He took the light of the gods and he brought it to men, and he taught men to be gods. And he suffered for his deed as all bearers of light must suffer. His name was Prometheus.

It has been said that one of the things that seperate Men from the animals is there desire to create. Man is a rational creature, whereas its fellow animals are guided completely by emotion and instinct. Man can build great buildings, create great works of art, invent incredible inventions.

But just as there are many great men in the world, there are always those who wish to tear them down. Who wish to destroy them simply because they have achieved things they themselves refuse to attempt. What would happen if those very people became the rulers of the world, in the name of the 'common good'? And what would happen if those same people remade the world according to their image?

This is actually my second Ayn Rand book that I've reviewed here. The first was her (in)famous Atlas Shrugged. AS was her fourth and final major work of fiction that she released in her lifetime. This particular novel was her second published, before the publication of The Fountainhead, the novel that would make her a major author.

According to Rand, she had first envisioned the story as a drama for the stage whilst she lived as a teenager in the USSR. However, when she made her way to the U.S., she decided that writing it wouldn't be viable. However, she read a story in the Saturday Evening Post that was set in the future (believed to be Stephen Vincent Benet's By the Waters of Babylon) which convinced her that perhaps such a story could be sold. It became her first successful book (though its success paled in comparison to her later work).

As with all of her novels, this particular story was both an adventure story and an expression of her own central philosophy (which at the time had yet to be given a name). Unlike Atlas, which is slightly science fiction, this particular story is pure sci-fi. It's also in my view a FAR better expression of her ideas and their merits than Atlas ever was.

Our tale takes place in the distant future. Our hero is a man named Equality 7-2521. Equality lives in a world that has entered a new dark age, where the very idea of individualism and individual thought and achievement is considered a great sin. Many of the great discoveries of the part has since disappeared. Everything from birth to death is rigidly controlled by councils. Even personal pronouns such as 'me' and 'I' are forbidden and punished by the speaker being burned at the stake. Only impersonal pronouns such as 'we' and 'us' are allowed.

But Equality views himself as cursed. Unlike his compatriots, who seem perfectly happy with toiling for their brethren, Equality wants to learn. He loves science and learning, which is forbidden since he is not with the council of scientists.

One day, Equality discovers an old subway tunnel in the Uncharted Forest, an area that is overrun with foilage and trees and is forbidden to Equality and his brethren. His curiosity getting the best of him, he goes inside and discovers a great many books. He uses these books in his experiments during his spare time. While there, he learns to control 'the power of the skies' (electricity). Eventually, with a little bit of experimentation, he manages to rediscover one of the wonders of the old era.....a light bulb......

This particular book is far shorter than Atlas, yet I view it as superior to that brick of a novel in many ways. It is not as preachy, and more action packed. It is also better written, in my view. I definantely recommend this novel to anyone who wants an introduction to Rand's ideas without having to traverse the thick text of her later work.

[Daryn]

So I've been looking on Audible because I've got another credit. So between Atlas, Fountainhead, or Anthem, which one should I get, given the fact I've never read any of Rand's work?

[Adonisus]

I'd read them all in the order they were published, with Anthem first, Fountainhead second, and Atlas Shrugged lastly. Anthem is barely even 1/10 of Atlas's length, which makes for an easier read.

That should get you used to her writing style. Afterwards, go for The Fountainhead, then Atlas. The Fountainhead is not science fiction, but its a great read nontheless. Anyone whose ever been an artist can REALLY identify with the hero.

Then go for Atlas. By then you should be able to handle Rand's prose. Just be prepared for a long read. It's a BIG book.

[Rick Canaan]

Well, just finished reading Atlas Shrugged. Next on my list is "Fountainhead".

I have to agree that Atlas Shrugged is quite an infamous book. It was like Ayn Rand set out to write the antithesis of the New Testament. She demonizes religion, and makes a mockery of the needy in society. Also, she drew the United States up as her model for the monumental failure of capitalism to the greed of those who would feed off of it.

Atlas Shrugged was a fabulous book. It rolled forward, throughout with a momentous plot, and drew me into its story with several very vibrantly done characters. However, Atlas Shrugged was about the biggest book of dogma since the outcome of the King James version of the Bible or Mohammad's Koran. Ayn Rand way overdid the petulance of the "evil" forces against the industrial revolution, and overdid the straightforward maturity of the industrialists. Both were cardboard cutout representations of what she thought they would probably be like in the world she created. Also, she completely overlooked all of the "little" people who would be most effected by the events in her story.

My final analysis of Atlas Shrugged is that it is a must read, if for no other reason than to experience the pure dogmatic preaching of an author who obviously hates her fellow citizens of planet Earth, and who just as obviously wishes existed the type of people she created as her heroic protagonists. She is, however, a good situational writer and great at plot development.

Beyond this very last, expect little else out of Atlas Shrugged. It is pure black and white, set in a world portrayed in the most extreme ends of the spectrum of human interaction and civilization. It is a book which will leave you scratching your head and saying to yourself, "Geesh, this dame (Ayn Rand) was messed up!"